“It’s time to set the record straight. The feeding practices of factory farms are creating food that is compromising the health of Americans. Compared with the food from animals raised on pasture, factory farm beef is higher in total fat and “bad” fat, and lower in “good” fat, vitamins and antioxidants.”

— Jo Robinson, New York Times best-selling author in her book Pasture Perfect

HIGH SPRINGS FARM is a small family farm nestled in the rolling hills of the Missouri Ozarks, where plentiful water and a temperate climate promote the growth of lush, nutritious forage well suited to raising delicious grass-fed beef.

The Hare family, parents and one son, own and care for the farm. Their mission is to manage a farming operation that sustains and improves the existing ecosystem by using methods that promote soil health, enhance grazing management, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and apply natural systems to raise a superior grass-fed beef product. Order your grassfed beef , order online or call us at (417) 345-1261!

HIGH SPRINGS FARM has 100 acres of pastures and woodlands.

Our pastures have been seeded with a combination of fescue grass, orchard grass, and two types of clover. Native brome, little bluestem, June grass and two types of lespedeza complement this mixture.

Twice daily, we move our cows and calves to new forage. The section just eaten is rested until the forage is high enough to be eaten again. This rotational grazing process is repeated throughout the farm.

As cows and calves rotate over our farm, they organically fertilize the soil with manure. This process, combined with our dung beetle population, enriches the soil without the use of chemical fertilizers. When tested, our soil reveals dense organic matter and the presence of beneficial microorganisms that further enrich the soil.

Cows and calves drink pure spring water and well water.

Springs are fenced so they can drink freely without entering the spring. This protects our springs from any animal contamination.

Well water is piped to waterers conveniently located throughout the farm. Our family’s drinking water comes from the same well.

HIGH SPRINGS FARM’S woodlands are home to a wide variety of native plants and wildlife.

To protect these native species, we joined with the local USDA Soil and Water Conservation Service to set aside 30 woodland acres as a conservation reserve. The reserve is fenced-off so domestic animals have no access, however, native wildlife is free to roam.

HIGH SPRINGS FARM received the Dallas County (MO) 2014 Soil and Water Conservation District Award for “Outstanding Accomplishments in the Conservation of Soil, Water, and Related Resources”. Taste the difference our care with livestock has and order your grassfed beef from High Springs Farm.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FACTORY FARMS

Not too many years ago, most beef cattle were either raised on farm pastures or on large ranch grasslands. Regrettably, that practice has changed. Today, factory farms produce most of the beef sold in your neighborhood supermarket.

At factory farms, thousands of beef animals are closely confined in feedlots. They stand for long hours in dirt and litter and are fed a high-fat grain diet, even though they are meant to eat grass.

To add weight faster, beef animals are given growth hormones. And, to ward off the many diseases that thrive at factory farms, they are fed regular doses of antibiotics. That practice has led to a human health hazard as more and more diseases have developed immunity to many antibiotics.

Animals confined at factory farms develop many health problems caused by the unnatural high-fat grain diet. They develop acidosis, bloat, diarrhea and liver abscesses. And, due to the constant presence of dirt and litter, they easily contract pneumonia.

Furthermore, factory farms degrade the ecosystem by polluting the atmosphere with dust and odor and by poisoning the water and the land with harmful wastes. Also, immense quantities of fossil fuel are needed to grow the grains fed to these confined animals, and to transport them and the grain to and from factory farm sites.

Most importantly for the consumer, meat from beef animals sourced from factory farms is tainted by what the animal was given: growth hormones, antibiotics and a high-fat grain diet.